


Resistance.

by Punk_B1rd



Category: Rick and Morty
Genre: But they're Ricks so it's kinda expected, Centaurs, Eventual Romance, Getting along, I'm Bad At Tagging, If you thought Rick couldn't get any more cocky, M/M, On the Run, Police Brutality, This one is half horse and has all the cockiness of an old barn stud who knows what he's packin'
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-05
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-03-14 01:15:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13582905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Punk_B1rd/pseuds/Punk_B1rd
Summary: It's a new Citadel. New laws. New standards. Ricks left and right are being violently detained in the streets. There's unrest and many are trying to abandon ship. Centaur Rick is no different. Under the new laws he faces an unknown punishment for things that would have been overlooked in the past, but he's not planning on sticking around to pay for them. Fuck that noise. Guard Morty's just trying to do his damn job. He just wanted to finish his shift and go home. But no. He just had to be curious and get his ass stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time.I will never not suck at summaries.





	1. In the wrong place at the wrong time.

**Author's Note:**

> I based this centaur Rick's coloring off of Dovaldraws' drawings of their Rick and Morty centaur AU. Rick's lower half is based off of a thoroughbred because TBs are tall and skinny af and can also be a little high strung. Figured it fit perfectly.  
> I picked Guard Morty because tbh his outfit looks like he's wearing breeches and tall boots. Also he's a stern little bean who needs more love.  
> I can never just pick normal things to write about...  
> Comments always appreciated. <3  
> With love,  
> Punk Rick.

The streets of the citadel were bathed in warm, evenly distributed synthesized sunlight, and by the looks of the subtle man-made hues of the artificial sky, it was around 4 or 5pm. Despite being far, far away from Earth, the Citadel was kept on a strict 24 hour cycle with sunset being at 7pm and the sunrise being 7am. Guard Morty stood at his post, just outside of one of the Citadel satellite buildings, which was primarily used for mundane things like renewing portal gun licences and Morty registration. He heaved a little sigh, letting his eyes close slightly as he tilted his head up, feeling the warmth caress his face… Only a couple more hours before the satellite would close for the day and he would be able to leave.

It was the sounds of a sudden scuffle down around the corner of the alleyway to his left that snapped Guard Morty out of his idle mind and into full alert mode. 

Guard Morty’s trained frown slid slightly and a more familiar Morty-like expression of confusion and concern crossed his face as he listened to the sounds of shouting, things crashing and the loud crackling of a taser unleashing it’s voltage. Fuck he wished the laws for guard Mortys would change soon so they too would be able to carry weapons… He swallowed thickly and hesitated for a long while before leaving his post and slowly following the sounds of struggling.

Why couldn’t this have been just a normal day? Since the change of leadership in the Citadel though, things had been anything but normal. There was no normal anymore. Riots in the streets, attempted acts of terrorism, violence and unrest all around. Ricks everywhere were fighting their hardest to tear down their new ruler and President Morty was fighting back just as hard. He seemed to know what the Ricks were going to do before they did it. 

He supposed no one knew a Rick better than a Morty.

He gave a sharp flinch and hesitated when he heard the sound of metal scraping against asphalt and several angry Rick voices shouting and growling orders. Firmly clutching and tugging at the leather strap that lay diagonally across his chest like it was the cause of the tightness in his chest, he approached the entrance of the alleyway and warily peered around the corner. 

Four different Police Ricks surrounded a large, struggling...something, covered in sleek black fur, and they were all fighting furiously to keep it recumbent. Whatever it was they were clashing with was putting up a damn good fight of its own as he watched it writhe and kick out with it’s long, slender legs. It’s dangerous flailing forced the two of them to jump back and almost lose their grip on the glowing metallic restraints they had ensnared it with, and wait...were those hooves..? 

Another kick from the creature confirmed that it did indeed have metal shod hooves as it’s mis-aimed kick struck the asphalt and shot up a few sparks, recreating that horrible scraping sound he’d heard before. 

“Stop fight-augh!- fighting you fucking m-moron..!!!” The Rick closest to what Morty assumed to be it’s head snapped, taking the butt of his rifle and striking at its head area. A chill ran down his spine as it’s kicking ceased immediately and it’s struggling became weaker. He’d seen Rick brutality before, and he hated it so much… Ricks could be downright savage when they needed or wanted to be and this one was no different. He drew back and struck the creature again...and again...and again, it’s struggling gradually halting. Guard Morty felt his chest constrict even tighter as he watched this vicious beat down even though the creature had all but quit fighting back. 

He felt the adrenaline pound through him until it crested over and he felt his body respond and move entirely on its own accord. 

“H-Hey!!!! Stop!!!!” Guard Morty shouted, his voice high and fearful, but still loud enough that all four of the Police Ricks ceased their assault and turned to stare. 

“Who the fuck do you think you are?? G-urrhp-Get the fuck back to your post!” The Rick closest to the creature’s head snapped, jabbing an accusatory, gloved finger at Guard Morty who instinctively shrank on the spot. “You have no business here, so just fuckin’ get-just scram, you little turd!!” 

Guard Morty had every single reason to turn around, go right back to his post and just pretend he never saw any of this. He willed his body to move, to turn tail and run. But his boots seemed rooted to the spot. He couldn’t move. 

The Police Rick gave him a few good seconds to obey before his brow dipped further and his lip curled into a snarl. “I swear to fuck if you do not turn around right now you little shit…” He started to threaten, hoping he wouldn’t have to finish his sentence and that this Morty would pick up the glaringly obvious hint and make himself scarce. 

 

Guard Morty never got the opportunity to answer. He opened his mouth to will himself to speak, but before he could, something at the lead Police Rick’s feet reached up, snatching the end of his rifle and yanking it from his grip. From Morty’s perspective, all he saw was the gun swing and collide hard with the officer’s ankles, sweeping his feet out from under him and knocking him right onto his back, his head hitting the asphalt. He rolled onto his side immediately, clutching his head and groaning.

The creature had started to kick and stir again, now with renewed energy. It fought and flailed, managing to strike at least one Rick in the knees and most likely break them. The two that hadn’t been struck, tried in vain to keep the creature down, but with just the two of them yanking and pulling to keep the restraints tight, they were no match for the creature as it managed to roll and tuck it’s hooves beneath itself. The second it had managed to do that, their efforts became hopeless. With a gruff noise of effort, the creature hauled itself to its feet, ripping the restraints from the two Rick’s hands and straightened up, revealing what it….or he..really was. 

Guard Morty had never seen anything like him before. It was a Rick, his coat hanging off one shoulder and his long sleeved blue shirt in tatters and covered in grime and blood which continued to gush from his nose. But from the waist down was where things changed. From the waist down he was…...horse??? A….A centaur..? Guard Morty still hadn’t moved from his spot, his eyes as wide as dinner plates as he watched this centaur Rick whirl around with inhuman grace and rear up to his full, terrifying height, striking out with metal shod front hooves, the restraints now falling loose from his strong yet slender legs. Both Ricks attempted to dodge, but one Rick wasn’t so lucky as heavy hooves collided with his head and chest with enough force to knock him back into the wall with a dull thud. He crumpled to the ground and did not move again. 

The lucky Rick leapt sideways, almost stumbling over an overturned trash can but managing to draw his pistol, cocking it and aiming it to fire. Centaur Rick caught the sound of the gun cocking as he landed back on all four hooves, baring his teeth in fury and turning to charge this armed Rick. Bracing himself on his hind hooves, he launched forward and smashed his knees hard into the Rick, knocking him back and onto the ground as the gun went off.

Guard Morty gasped sharply at the sound of the gunshot, but the centaur barely stopped, slamming both hooves and his entire weight onto the Rick he’d just knocked down, determined to flatten him into the pavement. 

“FREEZE!” 

The centaur Rick ceased his brutal stomping of the other Rick and glanced over his shoulder to see the Rick he’d legswiped, upright with rifle cocked and aimed. Everything had fallen silent as the two Ricks faced off…. Until centaur Rick’s front legs wobbled and buckled, sending him to his knees, one arm clutching his gut. The Rick who was currently a mess of flesh and bone on the ground had succeeded in hitting him with that one bullet. “Shit..” He hissed. The Rick with the rifle grinned, “Too bad there ain’t no Beths around to save your stupid ass. Oh well. Makes my job easy.” His grin remained as he closed one eye to gaze through the crosshairs as his fingers pulled the trigger. 

Click. 

Centaur Rick’s eyes widened as he watched the other Rick’s face twist and contort from smug grin into unbridled rage. Not letting this chance go to waste, the half equine forced himself to his feet and tried to bolt, hooves clattering desperately against the pavement. With a angry snarl, the officer Rick threw aside his jammed rifle and drew the only other thing on his belt, which was his portal gun. Spinning the dial to an unknown dimension, he fired it at centaur Rick’s feet just as he’d almost cleared the alleyway. Just as he’d hoped, the fleeing Rick fell immediately, arms flailing and grabbing for anything he could reach as he fell through the portal.

Guard Morty had snapped out of his daze when he saw 1200 lbs of horseman charging his way and had done his best to leap out of the way of the fleeing Rick. But luck was just not in his favor as he heard the sound of a portal opening just behind him and a desperate hand catch his ankle in a harsh deathgrip. “WHOA! WHOAAAAAHHH!” He screamed as he was yanked off his feet and dragged through the swirling green energy of the portal. 

The last standing officer Rick stood there, panting quietly and still holding his portal gun as he watched the Guard Morty fall through behind the fleeing Rick and the portal close behind the two of them. He finally relaxed his stance and let his shoulder slump, allowing himself to take a few breaths before bringing his wrist comm up to his mouth.  
“This is Rick L-871B. Gonna need a cleanup crew in sector 4, subsector 10 just off to the left of the Citadel Satellite office. Suspect has fled into an unknown dimension. He is injured and has now obtained an accomplice. Requesting backup units to track down and subdue them both. Out.”


	2. Balance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter two for you guys!  
> Big thanks to Dr. Navaras and my Hoodie Morty for beta'ing these chapters for me.  
> Heckin' love you guys.

Guard Morty fell with a hard thump to the ground of an unknown planet, knocking the wind from his lungs and forcing him to lay there and gape like a fish out of water…

Finally his lungs remembered how to expand and contract and he sucked in deep breaths. Clearly whatever planet they were on had a breathable atmosphere. He forced himself to sit up and take in his surroundings. 

The sky was a vibrant greenish hue, two twin suns side by side in the sky. They’d landed in a field of soft, rich yellow grass, surrounded by tall yellow trees that resembled aspen. The earth beneath the thick grass was a familiar reddish brown and Guard Morty pushed his fingertips into it. It felt like normal, firm, slightly damp soil. 

He slowly pulled himself to his feet and teetered slightly, his body adjusting to the slight differences in gravity. Where the hell was that horse guy..? He looked around, unable to see much in the almost waist high grass. He couldn’t have gone far, he’s hurt, Guard Morty thought, starting to wade his way through the grass. At least, until the toe of his boot caught what felt like a root and he stumbled forward. He caught himself easily enough though, and looked back to see what the hell he’d tripped over. 

Legs. More specifically a pair of long slender legs covered in sleek black fur, a long bluish grey tail splayed across them. 

Oh. Found him. Guard Morty turned and followed the legs until he found the rest of the strange Rick, who appeared to be unconscious. “Aw jeez… come on.” Guard Morty groaned, making his way around to Rick’s head, kneeling down beside him. He reached out to feel for a pulse, but hesitated. Does this Rick’s species even have pulses in the same place as a normal human?? He supposed there was only one way to find out as he lightly pressed two fingers into the soft groove to the right of Rick’s throat and waited. 

It was much slower and stronger than any regular human’s, but it was there. Guard Morty felt relieved that at least this Rick hadn’t died and left him here to fend for himself on this weird ass planet. He turned and started to assess this Rick’s injuries. Multiple cuts littered his torso and his legs bore several small bald patches where he assumed the ropes had burned the fur off. Just under the left side of his ribcage was a solid bullet hole, which continued to ooze dark red blood that had already started to try and clot. Oh man. He’d been taught how to do basic triage, but that was for humans. This guy was half horse for fuck’s sake. How the fuck was he supposed to triage a dude who’s half horse??

Out of the blue, Rick’s eyes shot open, focusing on the first face he saw. Seeming to hone in on Guard Morty’s uniform, a hand shot out and snatched the young teen by the throat and squeezing hard. Guard Morty jerked back and gaved a frightened gurgle, his own hands trying in vain to tug away the one currently tightening around his neck. Not letting go of Morty’s neck, Rick used his other arm to push himself up and tuck a front leg under himself so he could be face to face with the kneeling Morty. “You….you Citadel Mortys...thinking you can just come in and-and take whatever you want. You think you know everything… You don’t know-you’re not as smart as you think you are.” He yanked Morty close, watching the young teen try to gulp down air as he began to asphyxiate. 

Morty couldn’t hear what this Rick was saying to him, as his ears had started to ring loudly, the pressure in his head almost too much to bear. Tears started to well in his eyes, his hands still tugging fruitlessly at Rick’s wrist. “I….don’t….know.” He tried to mouth, weakly shaking his head. 

Rick’s eyes narrowed and he took a moment to contemplate Morty’s soundless answer. He’d been Mortyless for a while now and he was sure he could get out of this situation on his own just like he had before, but since the kid was already here, at least he could make use of him. He sighed and released Morty’s throat, letting the kid keel over, gasping and coughing violently into the grass. Ignoring Morty’s coughing fit, he started to gingerly pull his coat and his shirt off, not wanting to move too much yet and further exacerbate the gunshot wound he’d received.

Head still spinning like a top, Morty gradually quelled his coughing fit and pushed himself back up to scoot away and watch Rick from a safe distance. “They’re gonna be here any minute. Once they have backup, they-they’re gonna be coming for me.” Rick started to talk, tossing aside his tattered shirt and picking up his dirty lab coat to look it over. 

“W-why..?” Morty rasped, dark marks already starting to blossom across his neck. Rick didn’t look at him as he brought the edge of the coat to his lips and starting to chew at it so he could start ripping it into strips. “...th’ leth you know th’ bether…” Rick mumbled around the cloth between his teeth. 

Finally succeeding in starting a tear, he grabbed both ends and pulled hard with a loud ‘rrrrrrriiiiiip!’. “So. This is how it’s goin down. You help me. I don’t stomp you like I did those other Ricks back there.” Rick informed him casually, shredding apart his lab coat until he had enough to make a pressure bandage for himself. 

Morty was quiet as he mulled over his options. Which, he really didn’t have any. If he refused, this Rick would kill him before the Citadel authorities ever arrived. It wasn’t exactly like he could run either, for obvious reasons. “So...I-I help you. Then what? I don’t even know w-where you think you’re going to go. They’re going to find us.” Morty pointed out as Rick worked on tying the strips of lab coat together into a long bandage. 

“You’re right. They are.” Rick agreed, now starting to wrap the fabric tightly around his own waist, giving little grunts of pain here and there as he tugged any slack out of the bandage before knotting the end of it in a way that it shouldn’t loosen. “But old Ricky has a plan. And that plan starts off with seeing what kind of civilization there is here, if any.” He grunted as he threw both front legs out in front of himself and pushed off the earth with his hindquarters, hauling himself to his feet. “Befriending the locals is almost always beneficial… Now let’s go.” He gestured for Morty to follow him as he picked his way through the tall grass with a very un-Rick-like grace, heading for the treeline and following the suns which were growing ever closer to the horizon. Morty pulled himself to his feet and started to follow, having to break into a jog to catch up to Rick. 

 

Rick stopped right as he reached the treeline, turning to give Morty an irritated little stare as the teen broke into a jog again to keep up. “We need to get out of here faster than this and I’m not going to let you be the reason I get killed by those Rick-pigs.” He sighed, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose, taking a moment before suddenly dropping his hand to his side and glaring at Morty. “You tell anyone I let you do this and I’m gonna put a hoof through your face.”

He glanced around before lifting and bending his left front leg, dropping down to one knee and lowering his back. “Get up and don’t fall off. Kneeling isn’t-I-I’m too old to be kneeling like this any more than I need to.” He growled. Morty stared at first, hesitant to approach with the way Rick was glaring at him. It felt like the equivalent to a cat rolling over and exposing its belly. It was an invitation, but also a gamble. 

“Hurry up you little shit!!” Rick snapped and Morty blinked back to reality, approaching Rick’s lowered back with caution, gingerly swinging a leg over and settling down. He was forced to lunge forward and grab Rick’s upper waist as Rick lurched upward into a standing position once more. The sleek fur along Rick’s back was slippery and he felt so precariously perched; the only thing keeping him from falling was how bony Rick’s back was. Had he been more roundly built, Morty wouldn’t have stood a chance. 

“Ghh…. Don’t..don’t squeeze so hard. Gunshot, remember? Here’s some advice so I won’t have to keep stopping to pick your ass up out of the dirt. Heels down, toes up and pointing forward. Grip with your thighs and calves. And sit up straight.” He reached up to pry Morty’s hands off of his middle as he started to walk, picking up the same brisk pace he’d had earlier, though it was even quicker now that he knew he wasn’t going to have to slow down for a short legged someone. 

The odd swaying of Rick’s long legged gait had Morty feeling unbalanced and unstable at first and he struggled to stay upright without having Rick’s torso to hang onto. But as the time passed and minutes gradually turned into hours, the passage of time marked by the position of the twin suns in the sky as they now hung just above the horizon, he started to find that the more he relaxed and let his hips follow the rhythmic swaying, the easier it became to sit up there. He still hadn’t fully understood the whole ‘heels down’ thing, but at least he’d figured out how to sit mostly comfortably to Rick’s walking gait. 

The only expected problem that the hours of traveling brought was the dull aching he was starting to feel in his thighs and a peculiar soreness in his core and back. He grunted uncomfortably and tried to shift slightly to relieve the aching, which helped for a few minutes, but did nothing at all in the long run. 

Feeling confident enough in his balance, he tried to lift one leg to relieve the pressure on his sore muscles, but seemed to forget how slippery Rick’s coat was and suddenly he felt himself starting to slide. “Aaaahh!” He squawked and tried to reach out and grab something, but it was too late and he hit the ground hard, landing on his shoulder and rolling onto his back. 

Rick gave an impatient sigh and turned to circle Morty, letting his heavy hooves land uncomfortably close to Morty as he stood over him. “Let me guess. Saddlesore?” He folded his arms and stared down at Morty who sat up and slowly started to rise to his feet, his stiff and sore joints protesting movement. “Y-yeah… We’ve been..going for a few hours now. Can’t we just stop and take a little break..?” Morty groaned and stiffly stretched. 

“Oh yeah, sure Morty. Let’s just-let’s sit around for a while so you can rest your sensitive little ass and wait for the Citadel to catch up and gun me down, huh? That sounds like a fucking great idea!” Rick started off, his tone mockingly light before he raised a hoof and pawed the ground in frustration. “Get the fuck over it you little pussy. I’m-I’m the one doin’ the real leg work here!” 

Morty flinched every time Rick’s hoof hit the ground, easily able to pull up the memories from earlier today of this Rick stomping one of the other Ricks into the ground. “O-okay, I get it..!” Morty ran his hands up through his curls in exasperation. 

“Clearly y-you fuckin’ don’t! I don’t care if you-.” Rick froze mid lecture and turned his head to stare off into the shadowy distance, his stance going rigid and his gaze unblinking as he listened intently. “Rick..?” Morty ventured softly, but he got nothing in response. Finally after a good minute, Rick turned back to Morty “Climb up. We gotta go. Now.” His tone was completely different now. Instead of irritated, it was urgent. Morty glanced off in the direction Rick had been staring, unable to hear or see anything where Rick clearly had. 

“Morty!” Rick snapped to get his attention as he knelt low enough for Morty to swing a leg over. Once Morty did, he straightened right back up. “Put your hands- H-hold onto my waist and don’t touch my bandage. We have to move.” He ordered in a tone that Morty didn’t even think to question as he slipped his arms around Rick’s middle,high enough that he was mostly not touching the bandage. “Heels down.” Rick repeated in a hushed tone as he quickly broke into a trot and then slipped into a smooth, rocking lope. 

Morty grit his teeth and squeezed tightly with both his arms and his legs, unused to this entirely new gait and rhythm… Once again he was back to feeling like he was going to fall at any second and with the speed Rick was going at, it would mean nothing but bad news for him. 

Hooves thundered beneath him and Morty didn’t once dare think to loosen his grip on Rick’s torso, though he did steal a glance back, watching Rick’s long, flowing blue-grey tail billowing behind them like a flag. For just a split second he swore he saw a faint flash of light through the trees they were still traveling through, but then Rick veered off to the left which threw his balance off again and he was forced to squeeze tighter and press his face between Rick’s bare, bony shoulder blades. 

 

The suns had finally set and the sky was now a deep, rich, forest green and growing ever darker as alien constellations started to slowly litter the sky. Morty’s body ached from having to hold on so tightly for so long, but there was no way he was letting go. Rick’s breathing was deep and quick and he showed no signs of slowing or tiring for a while. 

For once in his life, Morty wished he was back in the Citadel. Back where he knew what was expected of him. Back where he knew what was around every corner and he didn’t have to worry about what the future held.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, pressing his cheek tighter against the bony ridges of Rick’s spine. 

It was going to be a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't wait to start chapter 3 for you guys!  
> If you have any questions, constructive critisism, suggestions or just wanna say heyoo, hit me up on discord at Punk R1ck.EXE#9735


	3. Getting along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3 at last! The first part is beta read but the last part isn't, so I apologize for any weird wording or typos or anything. I just kinda wanted to get this chapter out after such a long wait. Anyway! Enjoy more of my centaur shenanigans.

By the time Rick’s pace had begun to slow, Morty’s legs had all but lost sensation. So had his arms really, both of them still locked tightly around Rick’s upper torso as they continued to zip past trees. Rick’s light, fast hooves ate up the ground with each effortless stride, but Morty had noticed Rick’s breathing start to become heavier and more labored the longer Rick continued to run.

Morty estimated at least another two solid hours had passed before the rhythm of Rick’s gait slipped from a quick three beat, to a slower two beat that was slightly bouncier than the previous gait. From there he finally dropped down into a walk, huffing and breathing heavily through his nostrils. 

“R-Rick..?” Morty ventured cautiously, his grip loosening slightly from around Rick’s middle. Rick didn’t answer as he came to a stop, turning slightly to look back behind them, listening for any sign that their pursuers were close by. After a minute, he sucked in a deep breath and exhaled it slowly, seeming to be satisfied with the silence in their wake. 

“Alright. Get off.” Rick grumbled, giving a little grunt as he bunched his legs slightly beneath him and gave a sharp little buck, easily unseating his already unsteady rider. He’d never, ever be one to admit it, but he was dog tired and his old legs and back desperately needed a rest after the amount of energy he’d exerted breaking away from the Citadel guards and running like he had.

“Augh..!!” For the third time today, Morty found himself on the ground, staring up at the star riddled sky. “Ouch...Rick, th-that hurt..! What the hell?” Just like the two previous times, he slowly picked himself back up and dusted his white coat off. 

“We’re going to hunker down here for a few hours. I’m sure your sensitive little ass is hurting or whatever. You’re lucky we’re not still being followed, a-and these trees-. Morty, look at these trees. They’re the perfect shelter.” He gestured around them and Morty’s eyes followed. 

Rick was right. Though there was still the alien aspen all around them, they were now interspersed with a different species that Morty had never seen before. These trees sported a slightly different shade of white trunk and yellow foliage, but the real difference was how much larger it was, dwarfing the alien aspen by almost double. It’s roots were it’s most unique feature however, growing outward from the trunk a couple good feet before they became embedded in the soil, mostly exposed and creating the perfect windbreak and temporary place to hide. 

Rick circled a nearby cluster of the tall rooted trees until he’d found what he deemed to be the perfect spot. Two of the trees grew rather close together and between their roots was an enclosed space just large enough to fit about two centaurs by the looks of it, which meant a centaur and a human would have more than adequate room. 

Rick carefully picked his way through the roots, each hoof placed mindfully until he was completely inside the confines of the makeshift shelter. Morty stepped closer, waiting and watching as Rick dropped to his knees and then to his shoulder with a grunt, his hindquarters following with a little thump as he folded his slender legs neatly beneath himself. 

“Quit standing there and staring like a dumb shit. Get over here.” Rick snapped his fingers and pointed at the spot beside him.

Morty, who had been preoccupied watching the centaur neatly curl his lower half up, started a bit but was quick to clamber through the roots and settle down on the other side of their little shelter. He had no intentions of sleeping, but a rest would be nice.

The young guard pulled his knees up to his chest and folded his arms around his knees to create a place to rest his chin, still kind of watching Rick as he shifted around to rest his upper half against the tree he was curled against. 

He couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the way this Rick moved. His motions were fluid yet so purposeful If he was honest with himself, he’d never really thought about centaurs and how they would do basic things such as lying down. He never really anticipated the amount of raw strength it required to do such simple things. Rick definitely looked a little underweight, his ribcage visible even in the pale light of the alien night sky with his shiny black pelt reflecting the ridges and dips of his ribs. In spite of this Morty could still see the thin, strong lines of lean musculature on the man’s upper and lower halves, particularly in both pairs of shoulders and his hindquarters. Standing, lying down, running, bathing..? All basic things for a human, but what about a centaur? Morty found it difficult to picture how the hell Rick must bathe, but clearly he had some sort of method. 

Morty’s thoughts continued to drift and think about different aspects of a centaur’s life as the minutes ticked by, his blinking gradually becoming slower and longer. In spite of himself, his head finally lolled to the side and his body followed, slowly rolling down to curl up against the cold but soft soil, his breathing deep as he quietly snored. 

Rick leaned heavily against the tree, arms folded in front of his chest. He was tired, but centaurs shared with horses the ability to get rest by lightly dozing. He only needed about 6-8 hours of deep sleep a week. Right now he needed to be alert enough to keep watch. He lifted his head from the tree and looked over at the Morty sleeping soundly only a few feet away. 

His uniform was almost identical to the Citadel Rick guards, but in this moment it seemed so ill fitting on him. Morty’s face was relaxed, his long, chestnut colored lashes feathered against his soft cheeks. He looked like a regular Morty, a naive young teen with no real clue about anything. But the uniform he wore said otherwise, the badge on his left breast pocket not currently visible. Rick knew for a fact that it sported the proud M shape of the new Citadel’s government. The government that was currently hunting him down to most likely sentence him to death for what he’d done. 

It was a little over a month ago when he’d last spoken to his Morty. He could so easily recall his last interaction with his own grandson, not having a single clue it would be the last time he’d see him alive… 

It was now, in this short moment, that he was able to pretend the Morty sleeping only a few feet away was his own Morty, safe and sound where he should be, by his side and under his careful watch. His throat tightened at the thought, threatening to choke him with unwanted emotion. 

He turned away from the Morty currently snoring beside him and rested his head back against the tree, closing his eyes. No more thinking about it tonight. It was pointless. He felt no shame or guilt in what he’d done and thinking about it wouldn’t fix a damn thing. 

\---------

“Morty. Hey M-Morty.Get up you lazy little...little turd.” Small, hard little objects pelted Morty’s shoulders and sides again and again until the boy finally started to stir. 

 

Morty’s exhausted mind, used to being awoken by an alarm clock, was taken aback by a Rick’s voice telling him to get up. The only times he’d been woken by a Rick was when he was late. 

Shit..! He was late!! 

Immediately, brown eyes shot open and Guard Morty sprang up from his curled up position straight into rigid attention. “I-I-I’m sorry sir!!” He yelped, but the startled shrieking and fluttering of a nearby flock of birdlike creatures that came after his sudden jumping and yelling snapped him out of it. Oh...yeah. He wasn’t on the Citadel anymore. He blinked and dropped his head to rub his eyes for a second before looking around for Rick. He wasn’t even in the same dimension as the Citadel anymore.

Rick stood several feet away, just outside the protective circle of roots, his brow quirked and a stern frown on his face. “Good fucking job, captain paranoid. I even let you sleep for an extra few minutes while I took my morning piss. You better hope the Citadel pigs aren’t anywhere near us.” He huffed an irritated sigh, dropping the rest of the pebbles he’d been using to wake up Morty. 

Morty just heaved a sigh and shot a little glare at the other. “W-w-whatever, Rick.” He mumbled, turning and looking around before starting to wander off.

“Where in the hell are you going?” Rick’s brow dipped slightly in the center as he fixed Morty with a suspicious little stare. “You’re not the only one who has to- has to fucking pee in the morning. J-jeez…” Morty paused and glared over his shoulder. 

Rick gave an irritated swish of his tail and glared even harder at Morty. “You have two minutes. Hurry the fuck up and don’t even **think** about running.”  
“Okay. I-I get it.” Morty put his hands up defensively before turning back and heading into the brush for a little privacy so he could do his business in peace. 

Once he was out of Rick’s field of view and earshot, Morty stopped in his tracks and glanced back in Rick’s direction before looking forward at the foliage in front of him. He imagined running, taking off and tearing through the bushes as fast as he could possibly run. How much space could he put between himself and Rick if he really fought to get away? His imagination shifted and he suddenly pictured an extremely pissed off Rick chasing him down, front hooves high and striking as he caught up. Would Rick stomp the living shit out of him like he’d done with those officers back in the Citadel? Even knowing as little as he did about this Rick, he knew the answer to that question was a deafening yes.

Business completed as quickly as he could manage, Morty zipped up and buckled his belt before stepping out of the bush he’d been ducked behind. 

“You piss like a fucking bitch.” 

Morty screamed and jumped back as he almost collided with the large dark mass of centaur standing like a brick wall in front of him. “R-R-Rick!!!?? What the hell??” Morty squawked, glaring fiery daggers up at the centaur, who stared him down flatly. “Doesn’t matter. You finally done? Good. Let’s go.” Rick didn’t even give him time to answer as he dipped his back for Morty to hop up. 

Morty’s overworked muscles in his core and legs started their aching protest the second he clambered up onto Rick’s narrow back, but he dared not say a word to Rick, knowing his complaining would only make things worse for himself. So he perched himself as comfortably as possibly, trying to keep his heels down and his back straight like Rick had told him to, hoping that it might lessen the soreness thrumming up his back with the sway of Rick’s step. 

They traveled for hours, until their shadows were directly beneath them, the air sticky and humid. They paused to break for just a moment in the shade of a wide fern that was the size of a house. While Rick cocked up a hind foot, resting a bit as he kept watch, Morty found himself a comfortable patch of ground to sit and stretch his legs. He looked out at their surroundings, wondering just how far they had gone as he pulled off his Citadel Guard overcoat, leaving himself in his damp white undershirt which was still tucked into his liver brown trousers. As they traveled, Rick seemed to be following the flow of the land, taking directions that led them downward in altitude. It took Morty a little while to figure out what he was doing, the realization hitting him when his body suddenly alerted him to the fact that he was quite thirsty and his throat was dry. 

Rick was looking for water. 

Morty blinked and looked over at Rick, now noticing the damp, clumped sections of fur along the centaur’s lower shoulders, underbelly, and rump. He too was sweating in this heat… Their path so far had been mostly shaded with the heavy alien foliage, but shade or not, it was damn hot. With no sign of their pursuers so far that day, the most pressing issue they faced now was surviving. They were on their own on this wild planet and without water in this kind of climate, they’d only have another couple days. 

Rick allowed them to rest for the better part of an hour. By that time, the sweat on his shoulders and rump had mostly dried, leaving a slightly whitish salty looking residue on his dark coat. Morty tied his overcoat around his waist, the outside temperature still too warm to wear it. He climbed back up onto Rick’s back as quickly as he could as soon as Rick knelt, feeling just a little bit of sympathy for him. 

Their search for fresh water continued for the rest of the day, but there was still no sign of a creek or even a damn puddle. The suns had finally started to set behind the distant mountain range, their dying rays bathing the skies in beautiful yellows, deeper greens, and just a tinge of pink. Having run out of daylight, Rick veered off his course and started to look for a safe place to huddle for the night. Morty turned and started keeping an eye out for a spot as well. His mouth felt dry and tacky and he found he kept trying to swallow the thick mucus at the back of his throat.

With nothing better around, they settled with one of the larger yellow trees, protected somewhat by two large blue ferns. Like before, Rick settled first, folding his front legs first, his hindquarters following as he scrunched up as small as he could. Even as tightly as he was settled, he still took up most of their shelter, Morty having to scrunch up next to Rick, hesitantly leaning against the centaur’s softly furred side so he didn’t have to deal with the alien fern’s weirdly textured leaves brushing and tickling his arms. The silence between them would have been awkward if both of them hadn’t been focused on the sudden seriousness of their situation. No water, no escaping for either of them. 

Exhaustion from a day of searching in the hot suns was quick to knock them both out within minutes, despite Rick’s silent vow to himself to stay up and keep watch. It had been hard to resist the pull of sleep with the snoozing young teen curled up against the curve of his shoulder as Rick listened to his quiet snoring. Before Rick could stop himself or even register what he was doing, his upper half leaned forward as he rolled slightly and eased down onto the soft, slightly grassy dirt, sleep quickly pulling him under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really bad about responding to comments on here. I'm so sorry. ;v;  
> So if you have any questions, comments, concerns or whatnot, you can find me at Punk R1ck.EXE#9735 on Discord or at Robolovely on Telegram. C:


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